Earlier this month, Brazilian airframer Embraer announced it and the company’s prime component suppliers had completed the initial design and engineering phase for the Phenom 100 light jet announced last year. Embraer calls this progress “completion of the Joint Definition Phase,” which the company said was largely conducted without paper on a conventional drafting table. According to Embraer, the process involved a multidisciplinary team of more than 300 Embraer engineers collaborating with suppliers to finalize the Phenom 100’s design. The process also involved certification authorities to ensure their requirements can be met. At the end of the JDP process, the Phenom 100 team completed the Preliminary Design Review and developed a digital mock-up of the aircraft, which was then used to create a full-scale physical mock-up at BMW Group DesignworksUSA. The digital mock-up also provides a platform for engineering experts to complete structural and aerodynamic analyses, design production planning through digital manufacturing, and determine assembly logistics.
Embraer has a successful history of delivering quality aircraft that answer market needs, said Lus Carlos Affonso, senior vice president for Executive Aviation. We are committed to product excellence and we are dedicating 300 of our prime engineering teams and its resources to work for the business jet market in the design of the Phenom 100 to offer premium comfort with luxury, simplicity and power performance. To achieve those goals, Embraer said the manufacturing processes and tooling established for the Phenom 100 prototype will be honed for use in the production line. The Phenom 100 is now in the detailed design and certification phase and the first components have been designed using electronic signatures, which Embraer says will enable a paperless and swift approval process. In 2005, Embraer selected the Phenom 100 primary suppliers. BMW Group DesignworksUSA created the airplane’s interior design while Pratt & Whitney Canada was chosen for its PW617F engines. Garmin will supply the avionics for the Prodigy flight deck and Eaton Aerospace will provide hydraulics, flap actuators, thrust control, landing gear control lever, and landing gear hydraulic components.
Embraer Goes Paperless, Completes Phenom 100 Definition
Key Takeaways:
- Embraer has completed the Joint Definition Phase (JDP) for its Phenom 100 light jet, officially moving the aircraft into the detailed design and certification phase.
- The JDP involved a multidisciplinary team of over 300 engineers, extensive digital design culminating in a digital and physical mock-up, and collaboration with suppliers and certification authorities.
- The development process emphasizes a paperless approach, utilizing digital mock-ups for analysis and electronic signatures for swift approvals, with key suppliers including Pratt & Whitney Canada for engines, Garmin for avionics, and BMW Group DesignworksUSA for interior design.
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